A 3.9 magnitude earthquake hit Georgia early Saturday morning, the state’s strongest in years.
The U.S. Geological Survey registered the quake shortly after 4 a.m. within the metropolis of Stillmore, however was felt all through the state’s southeastern area because of the epicenter’s shallow location.
At least 1,294 Georgians reported feeling reasonable and light-weight shaking Saturday morning in parts of Atlanta, Augusta, Macon, Athens and even within the coastal metropolis of Savannah, in accordance with the U.S. Geological Survey’s community intensity map.
Earthquakes of this magnitude usually trigger “very light” injury, in accordance with the U.S. Geological Survey. So far, no vital injury or accidents have been reported following Saturday’s quake.
Temblors of this magnitude are likely to happen within the state about each 3 to five years, notably within the northwestern area, making the situation of the latest quake extremely uncommon, in accordance with Georgia Tech Professor and Geophysicist Dr. Andrew Newman.
Earthquakes in Georgia’s Coastal Plain “are few and far between, and could potentially be destructive,” Newman advised WXIA, NBC’s affiliate in Atlanta. “A good example of that is the 1886 Charleston earthquake.”
The quake in Charleston, South Carolina broken about 2,000 buildings and killed 60 folks. Modern estimates have positioned its magnitude between 6.9 and seven.3.
“While the South isn’t known for earthquakes, but they do happen,” the U.S. Geological Survey tweeted. Most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains has rare earthquakes.
The solely extra highly effective earthquakes within the area in recent times have been a 4.4 magnitude temblor centered close to Decatur, Tennessee, in December 2018 and a 4.1 magnitude quake centered close to Edgefield, South Carolina in February 2014.
A area of South Carolina round Columbia has skilled 31 earthquakes and aftershocks starting Dec. 27.
Associated Press contributed.